Even Kaia Gerber Couldn’t Believe What Happens in Palm Royale ’s Season Finale: ‘I Was in Disbelief’

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Kaia Gerber’s Mitzi took center stage in Palm Royale’s flashy, action-packed season finale, as (warning: spoilers ahead) Maxine (Kristen Wiig) agreed to turn Norma’s mansion into a club, Norma (Carol Burnett) asked Robert (Ricky Martin) to marry her, Mitzi learned she was pregnant, Maxine learned Douglas (Josh Lucas) was the father, Norma’s true identity was kinda revealed, and Robert was left for dead on the stairs of the 50th Beach Ball after being shot by socialite Mary (Julia Duffy). Wow.

“I think we really go out with a bang,” Gerber tells Glamour, stating the obvious. “Kristen’s performance in the finale is one that I cannot believe I had a front row seat to. I was just in awe, and she makes it look easy somehow, which is completely insane to me.”

But let’s rewind for a moment and recap, shall we? Earlier in the episode, Norma tells Robert that she wants to marry him because it’s the only thing that will protect them both. Plus, he’ll inherit her fortune when she dies.

Speaking of future planning, Douglas tells Maxine that since he doesn’t have children (hello, foreshadowing), he wants to leave a legacy behind. What better way to do that than to turn Norma’s mansion into a society club? (Hey, some people have different ideas of what legacy is. Good for him.) Maxine reluctantly gets on board but acknowledges that at least society will now come to her versus the other way around.

Meanwhile, Norma senses that Mitzi is going through a life crisis and grossly convinces her to spill all. “Guy problems,” Mitzi says. “I’m in such trouble. You don’t know the half of it.” Norma is all too happy to listen and tells the impressionable Mitzi, “Your secret is safe with Norma.”

As this is going on, Robert talks to Norma’s ex and realizes that Norma isn’t really Norma. She’s actually Norma’s boarding school roommate, Agnes, who took over Norma’s life after the real Norma mysteriously died. Robert is stunned—and betrayed—but welcome to the world of Palm Beach, where stuff like this happens faster than you can down a grasshopper.

Just as that reveal is unfolding, Mitzi tells Maxine she’s pregnant. She’s always wanted to be a mother, she says, but it’s complicated. Poor Maxine has no idea that Mitzi is pregnant with Maxine’s husband’s baby (she thinks Perry Donahue is the father). Maxine orders Mitzi to tell her who the baby’s father is: “He needs to marry you! Women need to have the balls to say what they want or they’re never going to get it. Never!” Norma urges Mitzi to tell Douglas, knowing full well this is going to destroy Maxine.

Of course, as soon as Maxine takes the stage at the Beach Ball, she sees a stunned Douglas in the audience reacting to news from Mitzi. Norma smirks from the sidelines as Maxine digests the shocking news while trying to launch into a rendition of “Is That All There Is?” It’s heartbreaking in every which way, and if this doesn’t catapult Wiig into an Emmy nomination for lead actress in a comedy, then honestly, what are we all doing here?

“I found out my husband was fucking my manicurist,” Maxine tells the crowd. Mitzi mouths, “I’m sorry,” but it doesn’t matter. “See, a woman really can have it all,” Maxine says through tears. As her life falls apart, Norma relishes in the drama of it all until Robert kneels beside her and whispers, “I can’t believe I considered spending my life with you…Agnes.” Oh damn.

But as soon as Agnes/Norma asks Robert where on earth he got such information, he runs off to stop Maxine from having a complete meltdown on stage as President Nixon departs. While that chaos is happening, Mary pulls a gun out from her beehive hairdo and fires it from the balcony before Linda (Laura Dern) can stop her. Robert is shot and collapses on the stairs. Norma’s in shock—but relieved, as maybe now her secret won’t get out. Mary disappears, leaving Linda to be framed for what may or may not be Robert’s murder. The camera fades to black as a screaming and crying Maxine tries to save Robert.

Cue season two, right? (For the record, it has yet to be announced, but damn we better have one.) So with all that said and done, we hopped on the phone with Kaia Gerber to help us break it all down—including whether Douglas really is the father of Mitzi’s baby. Read on.

Glamour: How shocked were you when you found out what would happen in the finale?

Kaia Gerber: I was in disbelief. Even when we were filming it, I was like, “Is what is happening really happening?” It was just insane. Everyone is a great actor doing an insanely nuanced and complex performance, and then you get them all in a room wearing couture gowns, tuxedos, and the most beautiful hair and makeup. It’s overwhelming. And then there’s me in my little overalls made for a toddler. But I think that’s sort of why it worked. It was just ridiculous and amazing.

So should we take it as fact then that Douglas is the father of Mitzi’s baby, or could it be somebody else?

Your guess is as good as mine. I actually don’t know. I assume it’s Douglas, but I don’t know.

That option certainly creates the most drama.

Yes, right? I’m very curious. I’m not sure Mitzi would go to Maxine and put her through that and jeopardize their relationship and their deep connection without knowing. But I’m very curious for people to watch the finale because I want to know everyone’s theories [about what they think and who could be the father]. I hope there’s a season two. There’s so much more that could happen.

How do you think that this pregnancy will impact Mitzi’s career and her overall mindset?

It’s probably hard to get your start in modeling if you’re pregnant, I would imagine. I haven’t had that experience, but motherhood changes everyone’s lives, so I imagine it puts her on a completely different trajectory. I’m so empathetic towards Mitzi because I really do think she wants to be a good person. She wants to see the best in people and be optimistic and do what’s right. She doesn’t have the tools or resources to do that. So I have a lot of empathy for her under the conditions that she’s under.

Mitzi spilled everything to Norma, who we now know isn’t really Norma Dellacorte. Have you been cued in as to what’s really happening there?

I genuinely don’t know. I would be so terrible if I lived in Palm Beach during this time period because I can’t lie. I would just be a nightmare. I would not navigate that well at all.

Let’s talk about Mitzi’s looks this season. What has been your favorite ensemble, and has her overall look influenced your personal style?

I always had fun when I got to be an astronaut and a showgirl; they truly felt like costumes. It’s fun to get to dress up that extravagantly, and it very much so helps my performance when I look different from how I actually look.

But the whole time we were filming Palm Royale and I was not on set, I was in baggy pants or sweatpants with no hair and makeup. I got the glamour through being on set and our amazing hair and makeup team and our incredible costume designer, Alix Friedberg. So I found that I tended to go very understated and comfortable when I was out of costume. I think everyone on Palm Royale was like, “Does Kaia own anything other than sweatpants? Because we’ve never seen her show up to work with.…” I showed up to work in a bathrobe one day, which was probably a little bit too far.

Did you really?

I did. Sometimes even sweatpants are too formal. I just couldn’t get out of my bathrobe. Actually, it was when we were filming the finale, and I was quite sick. I could not fathom getting out of my bathrobe. So I didn’t. I showed up to work and wore it over my costume the whole day as well. Of course, it’s the day Carol Burnett’s there. So I’m in my really fluffy, amazing long bathrobe. I don’t regret it. I was more concerned about not having my voice because Mitzi’s voice is in a little bit of a different register than mine is. But it was totally fine, and we were able to do it. It was the end of a very long shoot. I think everyone was quite tired, but then we all gave each other energy because it was the first time we were all working on the same day, which was really fun.

And hopefully there’s more to come.

I know. I feel the same way. I want to know what’s going to happen. I want to see what other jobs Mitzi can have. I feel like she has a new job every time you see her.

Finally, let’s talk about the actors in this show. It’s insane. How did you all get to know each other?

It’s so stupid. And it was stupid also that I was somehow listed amongst their names. I don’t fully grasp how that happened. I had met Kristen once before because I helped her with a promo for her movie, Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar. So we met briefly on that. It was quick and very fun, and she was incredible in true Kristen fashion. I had also met Laura Dern before, but I hadn’t met anyone else in the cast. Kristen and I had a lot of time those first few episodes to really get to know each other, and then slowly I would have a scene with Ricky or someone else. It was a very slow process because Mitzi’s storyline is quite separate from the rest of the show. It wasn’t until the finale that I actually got to be in the room with pretty much everyone in our cast. That was very overwhelming for me because everywhere I looked, it was like, “Ah, I love you.” In those moments you just can’t be cool. So I accepted the fact that I was not going to be cool, and I was probably going to weird them out or creep them out. I was just so happy to be there.

Understandable. What’s your favorite memory of meeting them then?

I can’t count the amount of times I’ve told Ricky that I love him. He’s just so nice and has an energy where you’re like, “I want to tell you everything. I trust you. I feel so held by you.” There was quite an emotional theme for me that he was there for. At the end of it, during the finale, he said, “Are you okay?” And I just was like, “If Ricky Martin was there to ask me if I’m okay every time I cry, that would make my life a lot better.”

Jessica Radloff is the Glamour senior West Coast editor and author of the NYT best-selling book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series.

Originally Appeared on Glamour